by Monica Davis
“I don’t know …” Nessa hesitated, but she let Daniel lead her over to the stairs.
“Wait here,” he said.
Vanessa stiffened. “I’m not staying up here alone — I’m coming with you.”
“Okay.” Danny took her by the hand, and together they descended the spiral staircase to the basement. When Vanessa reached the bottom, she felt along the wall for a light switch; the eerie darkness was making her nervous. She didn’t believe in ghost stories, but today was Halloween — the spirit of the day was rubbing off on her.
“Damn it, Nessa!” Daniel cried out, holding his hands over his eyes as the lights came on.
“I’m sure it can’t be seen from outside; there aren’t any windows in the basement, after all.” She couldn’t understand his violent reaction.
“It’s not that — the light’s blinding me!” He rubbed his temples, eyes narrowed into a squint.
Vanessa was amazed, especially because the old light bulb was giving off a fairly dim glow. “Are you getting a headache again?”
“Hmmm,” he growled.
Vanessa came closer to him. “I know I’m not your mother, and I don’t want to tell you what to do, but you should really go see a doctor. This isn’t normal.” She gently touched his arm.
“Yeah, yeah.” Daniel made a dismissive gesture with his hand and opened his eyes, blinking several times.
“Daniel, dear God!” Vanessa’s heart skipped a beat. His pupils were so dilated that his eyes were almost completely black. “Are you on drugs?”
“What? Are you crazy?” He shot her a resentful look. God, he looked scary — but also sexy somehow, like a real vampire. However, the idea that he might be involved in something illegal distressed her.
“I’ve just noticed that sometimes your pupils get really big,” she said carefully.
He quickly closed his eyes. “What nonsense. Every kid knows that pupils dilate in the dark.”
And every kid also knows that pupils narrow immediately in the light, Vanessa thought, but she said nothing more.
Something was wrong with him. She was suddenly reminded of Colleen’s words and felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. Was her infatuation blinding her to the fact that Daniel really was behaving strangely?
Vanessa watched as he raised the lid of a big chest freezer and pushed bags and packages of frozen food to one side. She sighed quietly as she observed his tall figure, broad shoulders, and raven-black hair from behind. Yes, Daniel had changed. He had become a man, and a damn attractive one at that. Hopefully he wasn’t getting himself into any trouble.
He suddenly stopped what he was doing and stared into the freezer.
“What’s wrong?” Vanessa walked over to him.
“Nothing,” Daniel murmured absentmindedly. He was still staring into the freezer. Might he really be on drugs? Was going out onto the patio to get some fresh air just an excuse — had he taken something?
“Doesn’t Edna have any ice? Let me see.” When Daniel finally stepped aside so that she could look into the oversized freezer, she let out a scream. “Oh, God, Daniel!” Her heart raced, and she could hear her pulse pounding in her ears. He’s really dead!
All she wanted to do was get out of that cursed house! Vanessa felt like she couldn’t breathe, and she tugged at Daniel’s arm to get him to snap out of it. The shock had apparently paralyzed him.
“Can you see him?” he asked soberly, as though there were nothing special about finding a human head among the bags of vegetables. The pale skin of the man’s face was covered with fine crystals of ice.
Daniel pushed another bag aside. “He’s all there,” he said matter-of-factly. “In one piece.” He shut the lid and leaned on the freezer with one hand. “You really saw him?”
“Of course I saw him — there’s a dead man in that freezer!” she cried. “It must be Joe!”
Daniel exhaled. “You saw him! You can’t believe how relieved I feel right now.”
The scene reminded Vanessa of a bad horror film. “How can you be so calm?” She couldn’t explain his weird reaction to the discovery. “Are you sure you’re not on drugs? I mean, Joe Adams is lying there dead, and it doesn’t bother you?” Her pulse was racing, and she began to see spots before her eyes. Good heavens, that meant … Edna was a murderer!
Oh God, oh God, oh God, I have to get out of here! Vanessa thought in a panic, but she found herself frozen in fear. She imagined she could hear Edna returning home and creeping down the basement steps, a long knife in her hand.
“Oh, it bothers me, Nessa; I’m just happy that you can see him, too,” he responded, the relief evident on his face.
His odd behavior made her shake her head. “I don’t understand.”
“That’s okay,” he said calmly. “But I don’t do drugs!”
The distance between them was again palpable, which saddened Vanessa — but right now old Joe required their full attention. She could puzzle over Danny’s behavior later. “So it’s true, she really did kill him,” she whispered. Ice-cold goosebumps were spreading down her back. “We have to tell the police!”
“No way.” Daniel remained immobile, resisting Nessa’s attempts to pull him toward the stairs. “That’s out of the question. They already have their eye on me; they think I smashed a store window.”
So that was it! She was relieved. Not drugs! “Well, did you smash the window?”
“NO!”
“Then you have nothing to lose!”
“Nessa …” He made a sweeping gesture with his hand. “How are you planning to explain this? We practically broke in.”
Now you get it, she thought. “I don’t know yet, but we have to tell them that there’s a body hidden here! Who knows, maybe Edna’s killed other people as well. You can’t just let a potential murderer roam free through our town!” Her voice grew shriller as panic overcame her. As soon as Daniel had turned out the light and led her upstairs, Vanessa ran as quickly as she could through the dusky corridor. I have to get out of here! was her only thought as she finally reached the back door and stumbled out into the starry night. A cool breeze wafted around her, making her shiver, since a fine sheen of sweat had broken out over her entire body. Her breathing erratic, she clenched her teeth to keep them from chattering as she waited for Danny to lock the door behind him.
“Calm down, calm down,” he said, walking over to her and wrapping his cape around her. “Man, you’re shaking all over.”
As he took her into his arms and the familiar scent washed over her, Vanessa immediately felt better. “How can you stay so cool?” She felt like crying.
Danny hugged her tighter, their bodies melting into each other as though they were one. “There’s something I’d like to tell you, but I’m afraid it would ruin our friendship,” he said quietly.
Now her heart raced not out of fear, but out of the hope that Daniel would finally confide in her. She raised her head to look him in his eyes, which had returned to normal. “What is it, Danny? You can tell me anything.”
He cleared his throat. “I don’t know how to explain it to you … I think, I …” He got no further. Rebecca had spotted them and was calling out, “At last! Come back over!”
Daniel let go of Vanessa as if she had burned him, and set off toward Rebecca, but Vanessa held him back by his sleeve. “What did you want to say?” But she already sensed that Daniel had shut her out again.
“I’ll tell you another time,” he whispered without looking at her, and then helped her over the fence.
Daniel was in fact hailed as a hero when he handed the red flower to Rebecca. She slipped her MP3 player into the pocket of his ruffled shirt and gave him a kiss on the cheek. Vanessa seethed. Get your hands off of Danny! This time, she was the one who felt isolated. No one paid any attention to her, even though she had been inside the house, too.
“Well, tell us — what was it like inside the haunted house? Did you see old Joe?” Becky was excitedly dancing around Daniel.
“Yes, we saw him,” he said, to Vanessa’s surprise. She inhaled sharply. If he spills the beans now, we’ll have to call the police, she thought, but then immediately realized that Danny was just putting on an act.
“We chatted with him for a little while, and he told us exactly how Edna killed him, down to the smallest detail.”
A murmur went through the crowd; a few people laughed.
“Is that why it took you so long?” asked Patricia, a sophomore. Then she turned to ask Vanessa, “Did you really see Joe?”
“Yes,” she simply said. She couldn’t lie — that wasn’t her style — and in any case, she really had seen Joe.
“If Nessa says so, then I believe them.” Patricia nodded earnestly and turned back to Danny, who was relating a gruesome story about how Edna had drowned her husband in the bathtub. “ … And after he breathed his last, Edna hid his corpse,” he finished with a flourish. His initial resentment at being forced to play Becky’s game seemed to have disappeared.
“Where is it?” Mike pushed his way to the front of the crowd, crossed his arms, and looked at Daniel with narrowed eyes. “I don’t believe a word of it, Taylor.”
“You’ll soon find out that I’m telling the truth, Pharaoh,” Daniel responded scornfully. “Joe said he’d send a sign showing us where we can find his dead body, so that his spirit can finally be put to rest.”
Danny was a genius! Vanessa wanted to throw her arms around his neck. She’d make sure to find an opportunity later.
“How’s he going to do that?” Mike was still looking at him skeptically.
A dead silence fell over the room.
Shrugging, Daniel answered, “He’ll be contacting one of you very soon.”
A few of the girls covered their mouths with their hands; other people stared at the floor or shifted their weight from foot to foot. Only a few were still grinning or rolling their eyes. Most of them believed him. Some people won’t be sleeping well tonight. Nessa asked herself how Danny intended to create this message. He could call someone from a pay phone or send an anonymous text message through the Internet … No, she discarded these ideas immediately, since the police would probably be able to trace them back to Danny.
“Who?” asked Mike, taking another step toward Daniel. “Who’s he going to contact?”
“You!” Daniel replied coolly, obviously taking pleasure in Mike’s shocked reaction. The other guests in the room looked relieved.
Daniel cleared his throat. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, please excuse me. I must escort this fair maiden safely home before I go out again in search of blood. So take heed — don’t walk home alone, or perhaps I’ll be biting one of you.”
Vanessa saw that Danny was working hard to suppress a fit of laughter as he went on: “And don’t forget old Joe; he’ll be making contact soon.” Then he made a deep bow like an actor on the stage, put his arm around Nessa’s shoulders, and led her out the door to resounding applause.
What a show!
“Well, how was I?” Daniel was beaming as they walked home through the park. His heart was hammering against his ribs, so hard that he thought they might be in danger of cracking. I could tear down a tree! he thought cockily, or kiss Vanessa until she faints!
His good mood disappeared in a flash when he saw Marla. The young demon stepped out from behind a tree onto the dimly lit path. I still have a bone to pick with you, devil spawn!
He immediately pulled Vanessa so close to him that she gasped. Poor Nessa, he must be confusing her dreadfully. He felt her intense gaze, but didn’t dare to look at her. He had to keep an eye on Marla.
Maybe she had returned to do something else to Vanessa.
I think Nessa might have a crush on me as well, Daniel realized as he reflected on her reactions. When Rebecca kissed me on the cheek, she looked at her like she wanted to kill her. And at the lake, the way she touched me … She wouldn’t have done that unless she had certain feelings for me. And she sometimes watches me secretly through my bedroom window. Daniel sighed quietly, gently stroking her arm. How could I be so blind! I think Vanessa’s been crazy about me for quite a while now. The same way I feel about her … Daniel remembered how he had responded to her closeness and her touch. It had been a wonderful feeling.
As they came to 24 Grayson Street, Nessa gave him back his cape and stepped onto her front porch. She pulled a house key out of a flowerpot and stared intently at a moth that was circling the lamp above their heads.
She’s deliberately avoiding looking me in the eye. Damn it, she’s just as inhibited as I am! Great …
“That was a pretty exciting evening, wasn’t it?” she said.
“Very exciting …” And very revealing. Daniel finally knew that he wasn’t crazy, nor did he have a brain tumor. Marla really existed, and at the moment her presence was a real annoyance. Taking a deep breath, he took a step toward Nessa and touched her lightly on the shoulder. “Sweet dreams.” Oh, you idiot! Couldn’t you think of anything stupider to say? They had just seen a corpse; Vanessa definitely wouldn’t be having a restful night’s sleep. He saw how distressed she still was. He would have liked to stay the night with her, holding her in his arms and soothing her.
Nearby, Marla, arms crossed over her chest, waggled a foot at him. “Don’t be so damn human, Silvan — you make me want to puke!”
Jealous? Daniel asked the demon in his mind. Then pay close attention, it’ll get even better. Spurred on by Marla’s scorn, he leaned over Nessa and gave her a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth. When he was about to straighten up, she locked her arms tightly around his neck. She pulled him back to her and found his mouth with her soft lips. Daniel almost gasped in surprise. That was … wow! He realized that he was kissing, really kissing a girl for the first time. Thank God I took out my fake fangs. His heart pounded; Marla was making vomiting noises behind them. I don’t want to do anything wrong. Am I a good enough kisser? I have no clue!
Daniel wanted to press her to him, to explore her body with his hands, but Vanessa suddenly pushed him away. “Sweet, um, lovely dreams to you, too.” Her voice sounded breathless. She turned around quickly but couldn’t manage to fit the key into the lock — her hands were shaking too much.
“Let me do that, I’ve had practice tonight.” He reached around her and got the door open, although he was definitely no less excited than she was.
“Good night,” said Nessa. She gave him a quick look that was so intense, Daniel felt his temperature rise. Before she disappeared into the house, he reached into his shirt pocket and pressed the MP3 player into her hand. “You deserve this more than I do.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Why’s that?”
“Just because,” he murmured. Because you’re so intelligent; because you hurt yourself and were scared out of your wits but were still unbelievably brave; because you’re beautiful and simply wonderful; because you’ve always been my best friend and I’m completely crazy about you, he would have liked to blurt out. But he wasn’t very good at expressing his thoughts and feelings.
When he turned around, Marla had disappeared, which made him happy. He could scarcely wait to fall into his bed and give in to his own private fantasies …
The next morning, the blood was still pounding in Vanessa’s ears. We actually kissed, I can’t believe it! Too bad Coll is away until tonight — I have to tell her! The previous night had confused Vanessa in so many ways: first the corpse, and then the kiss. She had barely slept at all, but she didn’t feel tired; she was far too exhilarated. She had to talk with Danny about how they could alert the police to the whereabouts of Joe’s body. At least that gave her an excuse to go over to his house. I’ve imagined so often what it would be like to kiss him, and when it actually happened, I panicked, she realized as she thought back to the intimate moment.
She pulled the front door shut behind her and walked across her yard. Her knees were shaking.
It was a lovely morning. There was a light fog in the air, but the
sun would soon break through it. In truth, as deeply lost in her thoughts as she was, there was no way Vanessa was going to be observing the weather.
Why was she obsessing like this? Had it been so exciting with Mike as well? She couldn’t remember anymore. Was Danny really hers now — were they actually a couple?
Upon reaching his house, she bravely pressed the doorbell. Danny’s mother opened the door.
“Nessa, nice to see you.” With the thick paintbrush in her hand, Anne Taylor motioned for her to come in. She pushed a stray strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Watch out, don’t trip. I’m making some renovations.”
Why is she grinning at me so strangely? Does she suspect something? Nessa asked herself. Can she tell just by looking at me? Her blood went hot and cold at the same time. She had always imagined it would be exciting to kiss a boy she was really in love with, but Danny had surpassed her wildest dreams. She had almost not dared to come over to his house, she was such a mess. It was only nine-thirty — maybe he was still asleep. Maybe she should just leave …
Daniel was rudely awakened. “Mom, it’s Sunday,” he muttered, trying to grab back the blanket that had been pulled away from him.
“Mom?” He heard a crazed giggle.
Daniel tore his eyes open. “What …” Marla was standing in his room, and another young woman was bouncing on his bed, her red hair flowing over her shoulders in shimmering waves.
This second woman had evidently pulled the sheets off of him down to his boxer shorts. “Hello, lover!” She was wearing a strange green trouser dress, and when he tried to sit up, she drew a long fingernail across his naked chest, giving him goosebumps. “I’m Sirina, your fu …”
“Knock it off!” Marla pushed the red-haired woman’s hand aside.
Daniel reached for his blanket, tucked it tightly under his arms, and sat up in his bed. His heart was racing. “So, now there’s two of you pests. Why don’t you just leave me alone?”
“No!” the two women said simultaneously, giggling.
